Immigration Sites of Conscience

FAIN: GE-50301-10

International Coalition of Historic Site Museums of Conscience (New York, NY 10001-5822)
Liz Sevcenko (Project Director: January 2010 to August 2010)
Elizabeth Silkes (Project Director: August 2010 to December 2011)

Planning of nationwide public dialogues on immigration, past and present, both online and onsite at historic sites and museums that interpret immigration history.

The International Coalition of Sites of Conscience seeks support for the Immigration Sites of Conscience, a network of 20 museums that use their historical scholarship to launch new public dialogues on immigration past and present. Member museums represent diverse immigration histories, from Ellis Island to the Japanese American National Museum. They are joined by 6 civil rights history museums, like the National Civil Rights Museum, dedicated to including African American audiences in immigration dialogue. These museums bring a wealth of historical experiences and stories that provide critical perspective on different experiences of immigration to build dialogue across difference. The Planning Grant will support a team of history museums, humanities scholars, dialogue facilitators, and media designers to plan new dialogue programs; on-site installations; and an on-line forum that will use diverse immigration histories to link communities into a national conversation on immigration.